Plans drawn up for solar farm near Selby

Initial plans for a large solar farm and battery energy storage system (BESS) near Selby have been submitted.

The development, by renewable energy company Quintas Cleantech, would be on 55 hectares (135 acres) of farmland either side of the A163 Market Weighton Road at Barlby.

The company wants to build a 30MW solar farm along with a BESS capable of storing up to 10KW of electricity.

The scheme has been deemed a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, which means it will be decided by the government's Planning Inspectorate rather than local councillors.

In a scoping report, agents for the applicants said the development would have an operational lifespan of 40 years, after which the solar farm, battery storage compound and associated infrastructure would be decommissioned and removed from the site.

The land would then be returned to agricultural use.

The report added: "During the operational period, a significant amount of renewable energy will be generated and major benefits to local biodiversity will be made.

"Any potential visual impacts will be mitigated through a comprehensive scheme of landscaping."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, several solar farm developments have already been drawn up for the Selby area, including the Helios scheme which would see a 190MW farm built on land near the village of Camblesforth.

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